WIOA CONFERENCE AGENDA-Work Group Discussion Docs

Pathways and Partnerships:
Building New Jersey’s Blueprint for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Mercer Community College Conference Center, West Windsor, New Jersey
Tuesday, March 31, 2015 Agenda
8:00 – 8:45 Registration & Networking - Atrium
Workforce Pathways and Partnerships Conference: Gathering and Overview
8:45 – 10:15 Welcome
Patricia Donohue, President
Mercer County Community College
Auditorium NJ Workforce Vision: Pathways and Partnerships
Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D., Deputy Commissioner
NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development
NJ Blueprint Progress: WIOA Shaping the State’s 21ST
Century Talent Development Vision
Michele Boronkas, Executive Director
State Employment and Training Commission
Workforce National Perspective
Scott Jenkins, Director
National Governors Association
WIOA Pathways and Partnerships: Opportunities for Transformation
Brooke DeRenzis, State Policy Analyst
National Skills Coalition
10:15 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 11:45 Working Session I – Choose 1
One-Stop Operations Governance & Planning Youth Services
Auditorium Room 213 Room 214/215
11:45 – 1:00 Lunch - Atrium-Dining Room
Working Session II – Choose 1
1:00 – 2:15 Serving Individuals with Disabilities Performance Accountability Career Pathways
2:15 – 2:30 Break
Working Session III – Choose 1
2:30 – 3:45 One-Stop Operations Performance Accountability Career Pathways
Closing – Wrap-Up
3:45 - 4:00
Auditorium
Notes:
 Please save your lanyard and conference materials if you are attending more than one day
 There is no food or drink allowed in the Conference Center Auditorium
 Rest Rooms are located on the first and second floor of the conference facility
 An elevator is located to the left of the stairway, near the Rest Rooms
 Drink and Snack Vending Machines are on the second floor, near the Rest Rooms
 The Conference Center and College Campus are Non-Smoking

Pathways and Partnerships:
Building New Jersey’s Blueprint for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Wednesday, April 1, 2015 Agenda
8:00 – 8:30 Registration & Networking - Atrium
Workforce Pathways and Partnerships Conference: Gathering and Overview
Auditorium
8:30 – 9:30
Patricia Donohue, President
Mercer County Community College
Aaron Fichtner, Ph.D., Deputy Commissioner
State Leadership: Talent Development and High Quality Partnerships
Harold J. Wirths, Commissioner
Rochelle Hendricks, Secretary
NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education
National Leadership: WIOA Opportunities for Partnerships
Richard Chavez, Employment and Training Administration Region I
US Department of Labor
Joyce Thomas, Regional Administrator, Region II (NY)
US Department of Health and Human Services
National Partnerships Panel: Criteria for 21st
Century Success
Auditorium Moderator: Carl Van Horn, Ph.D., Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers
9:30 – 10:45 Yvette Chocolaad
National Association of Workforce Administrators
Martin Simon
National Governors Association
Stephen Wooderson
Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation
Brooke DeRenzis
National Skills Coalition
10:45 – 11:00 Break
High Quality Partnerships: New Jersey’s Innovative Foundation
11:00 – 12:15 Moderator: Dennis M. Bone, Chair, State Employment and Training Commission
Auditorium
Regina Barbosa
Career Works, Newark Alliance
President Ray Yanuzzi
Camden County College
Tammy Molinelli
Bergen Workforce Investment Board/North Jersey Partners
Sandra Bleckman
Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Talent Network
12:15 – 1:30 Lunch – Atrium/Dining Room
1:30 – 2:45 Working Session I – Choose 1
Serving Individuals with Disabilities Performance Accountability Career Pathways
2:45 – 3:00 Break
3:00 – 4:15 Working Session II – Choose 1
One-Stop Operations Governance & Planning Youth
Closing – Wrap-Up
4:15 – 4:30
Auditorium
Aaron Fichtner, Ph. D., Deputy Commissioner

I. Overview: The workforce development system is focused on helping individuals obtain the skills, knowledge
and abilities needed to obtain a job and achieve a career. For these investments to be most effective, training
must be strongly connected to the needs of employers and should lead to other opportunities for further training
and advancement. New Jersey has made significant efforts in the past five years to support stronger partnerships
WIOA provides New Jersey with the opportunity to develop new strategies to coordinate with educational and
training programs in an effort to implement a career pathway approach leading to credential attainment and
employment.
II. Significant Changes in WIOA
 Emphasizes the need to develop partnerships, led by employers
 Provides local areas with flexibility in the spending of training funds, allowing for classroom training
connected to employer needs
 Emphasizes the need to create career pathways that provide for further training and education and give
jobseekers an opportunity to earn an industry-valued credential
 Places a new emphasis on work-based learning, including apprenticeships, on-the-job training and
customized training for incumbent workers
III. Key Action Items
 Develop a common definition for career pathways that aligns with the WIOA definition and provide
technical assistance in the development of new career pathway programs
 Review state policies, procedures and training investments to support the development of new career
pathways
 Define “high-quality industry partnership” and provide workforce partners with technical assistance and
training in the development of partnerships
 Continue the state effort in developing a list of industry-valued credentials
IV. Discussion Questions
1. How can New Jersey strengthen the capacity of state and local partners to engage employers in the
development of high-quality industry partnerships?
2. What is needed from the state to support the development of industry-partnerships?
3. What are the elements of a “high-quality industry partnership?”
4. What steps can be taken to increase the number of individuals who obtain an industry-valued credential?
5. What is the appropriate role for adult basic education in helping individuals obtain credentials?
6. How can the workforce system expand the use of pre-apprenticeships/apprenticeships,
internships/cooperative experiences, job shadowing/mentorship and career exploration?

I. Overview: An effective, employer-driven workforce development system must have a clear governance
structure that ensures key stakeholders have a role in decision-making. The State Employment and Training
Commission (SETC) and local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) are critical to the success of the workforce
system. Local areas must coordinate their efforts to ensure services are provided in an effective and efficient
manner. WIOA provides New Jersey with the opportunity to strengthen the roles and authority of the State
Board and local boards through the design, governance and oversight of the workforce system.
 Calls for states to identify labor market regions and to put in place processes for regional planning and
resource sharing between local Workforce Investment Boards
 Calls for states to certify local workforce areas
 Sets standards for the composition of local Workforce Boards, requires that more than 50% of members
be from the private sector, requires the State WIB (SETC) to develop criteria for high-performing boards
and to develop a process for certification of local workforce boards
 Requires that local WIBs use a competitive process to select One-Stop Operators
 Establishes requirements for state and local planning
 Requires that local WIBs assume new responsibilities including developing career pathways, identifying
proven and promising practices, and leveraging additional resources
 Identification of Regions: Work Group has reviewed initial labor market and economic data to identify
labor market regions in New Jersey
 One-Stop Certification and Designation: Work Group recommends LWD and the SETC develop a template
Request for Proposal (RFP) criteria for One-Stop Operator designation by local boards
 Implementation Schedule: Work Group established the following schedule for state and regional
planning:
July 2015 – December 2015 SETC, LWD and Partners draft State Plan
January 2016 – February 2016 Draft State Plan published for public comment
March 2016 State Plan submitted to USDOL for approval
February 2016 - September 2016 Local Plans and Regional Plans developed
1. How can New Jersey best support and encourage regional planning and coordination of services among
local WIBs? What are the benefits of regional collaboration among local areas?
2. What broad criteria should be used by local WIBs in the competitive selection of One-Stop Operators?
3. What strategies can local WIBs use to leverage additional resources? What can the state do to support
these efforts?
4. What can the state do to help build the capacity of local WIBs?

I. Overview: All workforce development programs and services must be able to assist individuals with disabilities
to achieve competitive, integrated employment. The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS) and
the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI), Title IV of WIOA, are critical partners. WIOA provides
New Jersey with the opportunity to learn successful strategies from our VR partners to improve services to
individuals with disabilities throughout the whole workforce development system.
 Requires that VR programs increase their efforts to provide outreach to employers
 Requires that VR programs offer pre-employment transition services
 Imposes some limitations on the use of subminimum wage employment for individuals with disabilities
 Places a greater emphasis on One-Stop Career Centers assisting individuals with disabilities to achieve
competitive, integrated employment
 Requires local WIBs to conduct an annual accessibility assessment of One-Stop Career Centers and to
provide technical assistance on serving individuals with disabilities
 DVRS and CBVI are currently taking steps to develop and expand business outreach strategies
 Data of students in transition should be shared with the public VR programs
 Develop processes that ensure youth with significant disabilities have many opportunities to achieve
competitive employment prior to sheltered work
 Development of accessibility checklist to be applied consistently throughout the state
 Identify potential challenges and opportunities for successes
 Develop a best practices manual that recognizes successes where they occur in New Jersey
 Implement communication tools be used to keep a pulse on local area challenges
1. What kind of cross-training is required for one-stop partners to best serve individuals with disabilities?
2. What needs to be done to ensure that all students with disabilities receive pre-employment transition
services?
3. What strategies can be used to ensure alignment of NJ state VR agencies and partner programs?
4. How can the workforce system better Integrate services available to individuals with disabilities?
5. What are best practices currently used by DVRS and CBVI that can be shared with the greater workforce
system?

I. Overview: The state’s One-Stop Career Centers are the foundation of the workforce development system, serving
as a primary entry point into services for jobseekers and employers. The One-Stops are a partnership between
Operators selected by local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), LWD’s Employment Services staff and other state
and federal workforce programs. The One-Stop Career Centers are often co-located with Offices of the Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation Services (DVRS). WIOA provides New Jersey with the opportunity to design a
comprehensive workforce development system that incorporates all of our vast services in a seamless, coordinated,
service-delivery model that accommodates all of our jobseeker and employer customers.
 Envisions a significant role for local WIBs and One-Stop Operators in the delivery of services in the One-Stop
system with a One-Stop Operator, competitively selected by local WIBs and in close coordination with state
Employment Service staff and other key programs
 Combines the core and intensive services of WIA into a single category of “career services” and removes the
required sequence of services, allowing the provision of services to jobseekers based on their individual
needs
 Places new emphasis on customer assessment
 Establishes that low income and basic skills deficient job-seeking adults should receive a priority for the
delivery of services
 Allows for greater flexibility in using contracts to fund training programs for adults and dislocated workers
 Identify clear roles and responsibilities of the various One-Stop partners with an emphasis on the One-Stop
Operator and the Employment Services staff
 Develop uniform assessment tools and referral processes to ensure customers are referred to the
appropriate services in a prompt manner
 Develop processes and procedures to ensure proper and consistent referral to and from DVRS to enhance the
pathway to competitive employment for persons with disabilities
 Develop a model for service delivery that ensures the local One-Stop Operator controls and manages the flow
of services to customers
 Ensure that appropriate performance metrics are established to inform service delivery and to support the
seamless, coordinated delivery of services by all One-Stop partners
 Identify best practices for implementing work-based training methods
1. How can the state and local WIBs ensure better coordination of services among One-Stop partners?
2. How can the One-Stop Career Centers be structured to best serve jobseeker and employer customers?
3. What are the key elements of a locally-driven One-Stop Career Center?
4. What can the state do to support the development of a stronger One-Stop Career Center system?

I. Overview: The workforce development system must be driven by high-quality, reliable and timely data on
the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and investments. With the focus on consistent performance
across the system and publishing performance reports, WIOA further bolsters New Jersey’s priority of
accountability in federal and state workforce development programs.
 Performance accountability components of WIOA take effect in July 1, 2016 (one year after most other
provisions)
 A unified set of indicators of performance will apply across all four WIOA Titles:
- Percentage of participates in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit
- Percentage of participates in unsubsidized employment during the fourth quarter after exit
- Median earnings of participants in unsubsidized employment during second quarter after exit
- Percentage of participants who obtain recognized post-secondary credential of a secondary school
diploma or equivalent during participation or within one year after exit
- Percentage of participants who are in an education or training program leading to a recognized post-
secondary credential or employment and are achieving measurable skills gain
- Indicators of effectiveness in serving employers
 Requires State, local, and training provider performance data be made publicly available
 Continues requirement that states maintain an Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) that tracks student
employment outcomes, regardless of funding source
 Review new performance measures and identify potential issues, including recording and reporting
information
 Identify additional metrics to be included in New Jersey’s Primary Indicators of Performance, following
the balanced scorecard metrics adopted by the SETC
 Recommend potential “real time” measures to provide important, early information about future
outcomes
 Determine whether current reporting systems meet the needs of WIOA
 Make recommendations regarding effective dissemination of performance data to stakeholders, the
public, workforce customers and program managers
1. How can the state and local WIBs more effectively work together to ensure decision makers, at all levels,
have access to useful, actionable performance information? What “real-time” measures can be
calculated and provided to inform program decisions on the state and local level?
2. How can performance data be disseminated to key audiences to ensure transparency and accountability?
How should performance data be calculated and disseminated to support and inform regional planning
and coordination?
3. How can ETPL requirements and the consumer report card for training providers be used to better
support workforce development partners and jobseekers?
4. Are there other ways that the state can support the work of local WIBs and other key stakeholders in the
area of performance accountability?
5. How best can the State collect and capture credentialing data from training providers?

I. Overview: Workforce programs provide an essential pathway for out-of-school youth to connect with
education and training opportunities that lead to employment. Other programs, including Youth Corps, Youth
Transitions to Work, Career and Technical Education, are critical parts of the state’s effort to assist youth.
WIOA provides an opportunity for New Jersey to strengthen partnerships and expand its capacity to serve
youth.
 Expands and streamlines out-of-school youth eligibility requirements, raising the age limit to 24 and
removing the low-income requirement for dropouts and other out-of-school youth
 Requires minimum of 75% of local area youth funds be allocated to out-of-school youth
 Requires minimum of 20% of local area youth funds be allocated for work experiences
 Encourages exposure to apprenticeships/pre-apprenticeships and career pathways
 Emphasizes youth program engagement with employers
 New required program elements:
- Education offered concurrently with, and in the same context, as workforce preparation activities
and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster
- Financial Literacy
- Entrepreneurial Skills training
- Labor Market and Employment Information
- Activities that help youth prepare for transition to post-secondary education and training
 Develop strategies for connecting with, and serving, out-of-school youth
 Identify promising practices being used in local areas to serve out-of-school youth
 Build partnerships with Department of Education, employers, and education and training providers, and
community and faith-based organizations to identify and connect individuals to services leading to
meaningful employment
1. What are effective strategies for recruiting and retaining out-of-school youth?
2. What are some best practices for expanding paid and unpaid work experiences for youth?
3. How can apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs be integrated into local youth services?
4. How can stakeholders work together to build career pathways for youth?
5. How WIOA youth programs be can connected to the broad array of other youth-focused workforce
development and education programs in the state?
6. What are some strategies for expanding the capacity of local youth programs?

WIOA CONFERENCE AGENDA-Work Group Discussion Docs

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (16)

En vedette

En vedette (19)

Similaire à WIOA CONFERENCE AGENDA-Work Group Discussion Docs

Similaire à WIOA CONFERENCE AGENDA-Work Group Discussion Docs (20)

WIOA CONFERENCE AGENDA-Work Group Discussion Docs